A great feature of Cartographica is the ability to add features to a map. This gives you the ability to quickly create new layers and add information to already existing layers. In conjunction with Cartographica's table tools (add coordinate, length, and area columns) the Add Feature option allows you to quickly georeference new layers, and it also can provide valueable information about the space used by the layer you created. These bits of information are important so that you can verify that the layer you created is a valid representation of the object being represented.

Cartographica has been able to export to KML since it first shipped. Cartographica 1.2 has an enhanced KML exporter that makes it even easier to make your maps shine using Google Earth, Google Maps, and other products that use KML. The software now exports all raster and analysis layers, as well as the precise point types that you use in your maps in Cartographica (as opposed to using the default pushpins that are part of Google Earth's repertoire).

Cartographica 1.2 offers new enhanced map layout and design capabilities with improved functionality and workflow.A new feature of 1.2 is the new layer control in Map Layout windows. Now, the visible layers in both Map objects and Legend objects may be edited separately from their original maps. This gives you the freedom to choose which layers displayed on your map will be shown in the design of final map output.

Cartographica supports many projection systems and now support the ability to add your own unique projection system to the program. The ability to add your own projection allows you to very accurately represent data on a map, which make for more accurate geospatial analysis. Cartographica has supported many projection systems in the past and the ability to add your own projection system gives Cartographica to accurately project data anywhere in the world.

A new feature of Cartographica 1.2 is the ability to re-geocode data that are already added to a map. This new option allows for additional information to be added to a dataset that describes the address used to match the point, a score indicating how accurate the geocoding process was, and a column that describes the source data used for geocoding. These pieces of information are important for keeping track of what went on during geocoding process, which allows for more accurate reporting of analysis results and procedures. Knowing how accurate the geocoding process was along with the specifics about what was matched, gives users the ability to closely monitor their geocoding so that they can ensure that their data is accurate and reliable for use in geospatial analysis.

New to Cartographica 1.2 is the ability to compute columns in a data set (this includes adding computed columns to WFS layers!). Computed columns give users the ability to quickly create new variables that incorporate information from other data fields in the same data set. This allows users to quickly create rates, ratios, and proportions by using a simple drag and drop method. Cartographica currently supports a large number of basic math and geometric functions.

See Below for the Step to Create Computed Columns

Cartographica 1.2 offers several new geocoding features that will enhance user's ability to effectively geocode several forms of spatial data. Some of the new geocoding features include the ability to geocode with bing, the ability to geocode layers that have already been imported, and the ability add spatial information to data sets that are incomplete, or not spatially defined. Cartographica can geocode both address and coordinate data and has the ability to add spatial information such as X and Y coordinates to layers that are not georeferenced.

Cartographica has had the ability to geocode address and coordinate data for a long time now. However, the ability to geocode using Bing is a new feature of Cartographica 1.2. Past geocoding methods in Cartographica have focused on the use of either Census Street Files (Tiger/Line Files) or coordinate data already stored in a data set.

A new feature of Cartographica 1.2 is the ability to add Live Maps to documents. Cartographica has the ability to directly use data from Bing, OpenStreetMap, and or any OGC-compliant Web Map Server. Each of these data sources can be displayed in Cartographica, and additional layers can be added for analysis.

With the announcement of the open beta of 1.2, we are looking for every way we can to increase communication, so we're going to try using forums again. There's more anti-spam protection in place, so hopefully it'll still be accessible by everyone. You will need to sign up as a user to write something, but not to read.